Gift Of A Hug
by XachMustel
Summary: While out for ice cream with the triplets, Launchpad happens across a depressed Black Arts Beagle and decides to cheer him up despite Huey, Dewey and Louie's warnings.


It was a beautiful and sunny day at a shopping center plaza in Duckberg. Launchpad was walking merrily around the plaza with Huey, Dewey and Louie in tow. The three of them had just gotten ice cream from the local creamery. Huey had a cone of vanilla, Dewey had strawberry and Louie had chocolate. Launchpad's cone consisted of all three flavors, stacked on top of each other. The three of them came over to a fountain where a tall, gothic-looking canine figure sat in a hunched-over stance. He wore a matching black vest, pants and boots alongside a royal purple cape, spiked bracelets and fingerless gloves. Along with this, he has a single earring piercing his left ear and this time around, was wearing dark eyeshadow. Huey, Dewey and Louie instantly recognized him as Black Arts Beagle and their mood soured, even with their newly acquired ice creams but Launchpad just smiled at the stranger.

Launchpad then noticed that the magician was crying. Black Arts had tears rolling down his muzzle, leaving salty tracks of guyliner along the fur of his snout as he sobbed into his paws. The pilot sadly shook his head, "Poor guy looks like he could use some cheering up." He turned and faced the trio, "I'm gonna go talk to him."

Louie did a double-take, "Are you serious? You do know who that is, right?"

"That's Black Arts Beagle also known by his stage name Nik Nokturne!" Huey exclaimed, "You know this could be a trick! After all, he works as a magician."

"What they said." Dewey nodded in agreement with his red and green shirted brothers.

Launchpad slowly shook his head again, "Even if he is a Beagle, he looks like he could use a friend. Hold my ice cream, Huey. I'll put a smile on that sad sack's face in no time!"

Louie and Dewey facepalmed in unison as Huey called after him, "Just make sure to be on your guard around him!"

Without hesitation, Launchpad sat next to Black Arts on the edge of the fountain and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "Hey there, buddy. Can you tell me what's the matter?"

Black Arts sobbed a bit before rubbing at his bloodshot eyes, "I...ummmmmm. Who are you?" His voice was soft and weak, seemingly a shell of his normally larger-than-life attitude.

"Name's Launchpad McQuack, ace pilot and professional cheerer-upper at your service!" Launchpad replied, holding out his other hand to give the magician a handshake.

Reluctantly, Black Arts accepted the handshake, "You probably know me by my stage name Nik Nokturne but at the moment, I'm just plain old Black Arts Beagle. Just a washed up, friendless loser with no bright future whatsoever in store."

"Awww, I don't think you're a washed up failure. The boys over there told me you're a magician and put on magic acts. Could you show me a trick?" Launchpad asked, bouncing with a childlike glee.

Black Arts glanced over to Huey, Dewey and Louie who were all shaking their heads "no" in a frantic fashion and gave the three a death glare before letting out a snort, "Fine, if you insist. But just so you know, I've been out of practice for a while now."

Launchpad watched with his undivided attention as Black Arts pulled a deck of cards out of his vest pocket and fanned them out. The pilot happily closed his eyes as the magician spoke, "All right. So close your eyes, think of a card in your head and pick one."

Launchpad did as instructed and pulled a card from the deck.

"Queen Of Hearts" Black Arts said without hesitation. Launchpad smiled at the card and sure enough, it was exactly as he predicted in his head.

"Keep it, I've got plenty of decks."

"Really? Thanks, buddy!" Launchpad replied, giving the beagle a hearty slap on the back, "So tell me, how did you do that trick?"

"Pretty basic stuff but a master of the arcane never reveals his secrets." Black Arts replied matter-of-factly.

Huey, Dewey and Louie all watched in shock as Launchpad started acting all friendly with the dark, edgy-looking Beagle but then again, Launchpad was the type who could make friends with just about anyone. Clearing his throat, the pilot spoke up, "So what were all the waterworks about? You can tell old Launchpad, I won't judge."

Black Arts sighed and buried his face in his paws, "Well, it's a long story but I might as well share it since I've got nothing else better to do. You see, I was always the sensitive one of the Beagle family. I was always more into magic and the arts than my brothers. They'd constantly tease me and whenever I ran off crying to Ma Beagle, she'd just slap me across the face and tell me to man up. My brothers also mocked me for not being a triplet as if it was some sort of horrible crime, they'd always shove me to the floor and call me a crybaby. Sure, Ma treated them like dirt but she always treated me even lower than dirt. I remember the first time that I told Ma about my interest in magic tricks..."

The magician hung his head, choking up as a new batch of tears brimmed in his eyes at the memory, "She...she locked me in a box f-f-for a w-whole d-day...t-told me that if I loved magic so much, I could try to poof my way out of a box. It was so cramped in there...so dark...I-I could barely m-move...finally, Bouncer let me out c-cause he heard me c-c-crying...I..."

At this point, Black Arts broke down again, dark tears dripping off the tip of his nose as he wept openly. Dewey and Louie sadly shook their heads as the magician broke down into the ugliest, most snot-filled crying they've ever witnessed. This guy was a villain? Even if he could successfully summon ghosts and demons, he was beyond pitiful. Just a blubbering, sad little puppy trapped in an edgy goth outer shell. Huey folded his arms in irritation, feeling like Black Arts was only shedding crocodile tears and making up sob stories but didn't say a word.

At this point, Launchpad was slowly rubbing the crying Beagle's back in an attempt to console him but he had no words so he just let Black Arts continue speaking, "W-worst of a-all...t-today's my birthday...I've never...had a p-p-party before...so...alone...no cake...no fr-friends...this morning...reminded Ma...s-so she told me...t-to go DISAPPEAR FOREVER!"

Launchpad had heard enough. He stood up and stood in front of Black Arts. Wrapping his arms around the magician, he pulled him into a tight man-hug and started cuddling him. Black Arts buried his face into Launchpad's chest, letting the warm guyliner tears trail down his snout and he cried openly into the pilot's muscular arms. Huey, Dewey and Louie watched the two guys hug it out. Huey wasn't sure how to feel about it, Dewey had tears streaming down his beak as he started feeling sorry for Black Arts and Louie just calmly smiled at the sight before him. Launchpad was truly too kind-hearted for his own good.

After a few minutes, Black Arts quieted to a sniffle and stared at Launchpad with puppydog eyes, "Did...did you just hug me?"

"Think of it as a birthday present." Launchpad smiled at the Beagle, "I hope you liked it."

Sniffling, Black Arts knuckled the remaining tears from his snout as he broke eye contact because of embarrassment, "It...felt so warm and nice. I've...never been hugged before...thanks..."

"And that's not the only present I have for you." Launchpad added as he turned towards Huey, "Huey, if you wouldn't mind handing me my ice cream."

Letting out a sigh, Huey handed Launchpad the triple scoop cone and he gave it to Black Arts, "Here, you can have my cone. I didn't take a single lick off of it."

"Seriously? I...I mean. I'm one of the Beagles, a sworn enemy to Scrooge McDuck and his whole family! I tried to summon a demon to kill him and YOU'RE giving ME ICE CREAM?!" Black Arts shouted, completely flabbergasted.

"Yep! Everyone deserves to be happy on their birthday!" Launchpad replied cheerfully, causing the magician's eyes to mist up with tears yet again.

"I...I..." Black Arts felt his heart swell up and a lump beginning to form in his throat as he choked out a pathetic whimper, "D-darn it! Y-you're gonna make me start crying again! N-necromancers aren't supposed to cry!"

Huey couldn't help but roll his eyes at the remark as he recalled Black Arts' ugly crying episode just minutes ago. Launchpad placed a hand on the villain's shoulder and smiled at him, "Just take a moment and enjoy your ice cream, after everything you've been through you deserve it."

"Thanks." Black Arts sniffled, drying his eyes with his cape, "Next time I try to destroy the McDuck family with my arcane powers, I'll be sure to spare you."

"Oh, brother." Huey groaned.

And with that, the canine magician stuck his tongue out and started licking the ice cream that Launchpad had given to him, his tail happily wagging with each lick.

Smiling, Launchpad left the area with the triplets as they were finishing up their ice cream. He was smiling because he helped cheer up someone who was never shown kindness and love before. Until that day, nobody cared for or even loved Black Arts Beagle. Sometimes, even as Nik Nokturne, he was treated as a complete joke. Even a villain needs a shoulder to cry on once in a while.

The end.


End file.
